• Safran invests €280m to build one of the world's largest landing gear plants in Morocco, creating 500 jobs at the Nouaceur Midparc platform
• Factory to produce A320 landing gear systems, adding high-value capability to Morocco's aerospace sector alongside Safran's engine complex
• Investment reflects European nearshoring trend, consolidating Morocco as a dual-capability aerospace base for propulsion and landing systems

French aerospace group Safran has announced an investment of more than €280 million (approximately $305 million) to build a manufacturing facility for aircraft landing gear systems in Morocco. The project was officially launched on 13 February 2026 during a ceremony held at the Royal Palace in Casablanca, presided over by King Mohammed VI in the presence of Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan.

The new plant will be located in Nouaceur, within the Midparc industrial platform dedicated to aerospace and space activities in the Casablanca-Settat region. Operated by Safran Landing Systems, the site will be one of the company's largest global production facilities for landing gear systems, built on more than seven hectares and designed to run entirely on decarbonised energy. At full capacity, the project is expected to create approximately 500 jobs.

Deepening Morocco's position in global aerospace supply chains

The factory will manufacture landing gear systems for the Airbus A320 family, currently the world's highest-selling commercial aircraft programme. Planned activities include precision machining of metal components, system assembly, testing and certification, and advanced maintenance operations.

Landing gear systems are among the most critical and technically demanding components on any aircraft, requiring compliance with stringent international certification standards. The decision to locate such production in Morocco adds a high-value industrial segment to the country's aerospace capabilities, moving beyond assembly and component manufacturing into system-level production that involves advanced engineering, materials processing and integration.

Ross McInnes, Chairman of Safran's Board of Directors, said the facility would help the group keep pace with rising A320 production rates and prepare for the next generation of short- and medium-haul aircraft. He noted that locating the plant in Morocco positions part of Safran's landing gear manufacturing closer to its existing assembly sites and to Airbus assembly lines in Europe, creating shorter industrial routes and a more resilient supply chain.

McInnes described the project as far more than an industrial investment, calling Morocco a strategic country for the group and stressing that Safran does not produce in Morocco but with Morocco. He recalled that the group had launched a jet engine manufacturing complex in Morocco in October 2025, also under the presidency of King Mohammed VI. The landing gear plant, coming just months later, signals a deliberate acceleration by Safran in consolidating Morocco as a dual-capability production base covering both propulsion and landing systems — two of the most technically complex segments of an aircraft.

The investment also reflects a broader trend among European aerospace manufacturers seeking to diversify their industrial footprint and build supply chain resilience closer to home. Morocco's geographic proximity to Europe, its established industrial platforms and its existing pool of approximately 25,000 aerospace workers make it a natural candidate for nearshoring strategies in the sector. The facility is also expected to attract new suppliers into the Moroccan aerospace ecosystem, potentially deepening the country's integration into Safran's global procurement network.

Morocco's Industry and Trade Minister Ryad Mezzour said the country had established itself as a globally recognised aerospace platform over the past two decades. He described the production of landing gear systems in Morocco as evidence of the country's mastery of complex technologies and a further step toward deeper integration into global aerospace value chains. Mezzour added that the project offered opportunities for young Moroccan talent to develop advanced industrial skills.

For Morocco, the project consolidates a two-decade industrial strategy aimed at positioning the country as more than a low-cost manufacturing base. The capacity to produce, test, certify and maintain landing gear systems places Morocco among a small number of countries with the industrial depth to participate in the full lifecycle of critical aircraft components. The project will also generate additional export revenues for the country

Safran has operated in Morocco for more than 25 years. The group is the world's leading manufacturer of engines for short- and medium-haul aircraft and ranks as the third-largest aerospace company globally, excluding airframe manufacturers. A memorandum of agreement for the landing gear plant was signed at the ceremony by Minister Mezzour, Karim Zidane, Minister Delegate in charge of Investment, Governance and Public Policy Evaluation, and Safran Chairman Ross McInnes.

Idriss Linge